The Best Nerf Gun Ever (The Nerf Crossbow)

It's Christmas time, and that signals one of the few times a year I get to browse the toy aisles with a legitimate excuse.  I have a 9-year-old cousin to shop for, so that means Nerf guns.  I went to Target and was a little dismayed to see some of the new designs that shoot discs instead of darts or arrows (call me a traditionalist).  Supposedly they actually shoot very well, but I have yet to try one.  I ended up picking out the Raider Rapid-Fire, which resembles a Tommy Gun with the large drum barrell.  Seems like the 30-shot capacity would serve him well in a firefight.

All of the shopping got me to thinking about my personal favorite Nerf gun, the Nerf Crossbow.

This purple monster was the first Nerf gun to fire both arrows and darts, which was great because you could use any ammo you found.  It also had a pretty good kick compared to the other Nerf products at the time, and a very practical design.  In fact, it has become the gun most sought after by collectors and modders alike.  If you remove the "bow" part of the toy, it becomes a cool-looking shotgun.  Sadly, mine was lost in a move, and a replacement has been too hard and too costly to find.  But it will always hold a special place in my heart.